Improvement in step-ladders



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB D. VINSLOV, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEP-LADDERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 151,946, dated June 9, 1874; application filed April 18, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB D. WrNsLow, of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle and State of Delaware, have invented a new and valuable Improvement in StepLadders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the construction and operation of the saine, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figure l of the vdrawing is a representation of a perspective view of my step-ladder, and Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the same.

This invention has relation to step-ladders; and it consists in the construction and novel arrangement ofthe rear props, which are notched near their upper extremities, and are pivoted externally to the side bars of a ladder at a point below these notches, and near the upper extremities of said side bars. These notches are so arranged and constructed as to bear upon check-blocks rigidly secured to the side bars of the ladder, whereby said props, when extended, will be checked upon said blocks.

In the annexed drawings, A A designate the side bars, and b b b the steps or rounds, of a ladder, applied, the one to the other, in the usual well-known manner. B B are rectangular blocks, of suitable length, rigidly secured externally to the upper and front parts ofthe side bars A A, as shown in Fig. 2. C C are legs of a rear prop, braced transversely near their lower extremities, and which are notched near their upper extremities, for a purpose hereinafter to be explained. These legs C C of the rear props are each pivoted near their upper extremities, and below the notches c c, to the outside of the side bars A A, in such manner as that they will vibrate thereon, and

' receive the side bars A A within them, when the lower ends of the prop and side bars are brought together in the act of folding. The pivots p may in practice be provided with heads on one end, and secured in place by means of nuts and screw-threads at the other;

or they may be secured in any other suitable manner. l designates a pin, secured to the ladder, which pin, when inserted into a perforationbelow the pivot p in the side bars AA, serves to keep the prop from vibrating inwardly when in use, and thus keeps the ladder erect. The angular ends b b of the checkblocks B B are constructed to bear against angular notches, c c, in the legs C C, and serve. when thus shouldered, to prevent the legs C C ofthe props, and the side bars A A, from extending beyond a certain point and causing the fall of the ladder.

It will be seen from the above description that my improved step-ladder presents the following advantages over those commonly in use, to wit, its simplicity of construction, cheapness, compact form, and its durability; and it will, moreover, be seen that all danger of its falling when in use is obviated by the engagement of the notched legs C C with the ends of the check-blocks B B, and by the insertion of the pin P into the perforation, as above described.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

'Ihe notched props C C, pivoted to the outer surface of the side bars A A, to embrace said side bars, in combination with the check-blocks B B and side bars AA, substantially as specitied.

.In testimony that I claim the above I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two witnesses.

JACOB DERICKSON WINSLOVV.

Witnesses ZAGKARIAH PIoKELs,

D. LAMBORN. 

